Dr. Leigh Gandy Smith

Dr. Leigh Gandy Smith is a lifelong resident of Beaumont, Texas and honor graduate of Monsignor Kelly High School, Leigh Smith began her college career when she enrolled at Lamar University and became very active in campus activities. She served as a University Ambassador, Leadership Lamar delegate and was a member of Alpha Lamba Delta Freshman Honor Society, Cap Gown Senior Honor Society for Women, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Beta Gamma Sigma (business), Sigma Iota Epsilon (management) and was appointed by the president as a student representative on the Intercollegiate Athletics Task Force before earning a Bachelor of Business Administration with honors in Finance in 1991. Soon after graduation she started her career at Lamar University and eventually became the Director of the Advising Center in the Department of General Studies. She served on several committees and councils and received an Outstanding Staff Award. While employed, she received her Masters of Education in Counseling and Development from Lamar University. After receiving her Masters Degree she accepted the position of Dean of Student Services at Lamar Institute of Technology. She served ten years as Dean and then decided to pursue her passion for teaching and joined the faculty in the Department of General Education and Developmental Studies in 2008 where she currently teaches College Success Skills and coordinates the Mentoring Program. In 2011 she was accepted into the doctoral program in Educational Leadership at Lamar University and graduated with an Ed.D. in 2013, earning recognition as the program’s “Outstanding Doctoral Student.” During her eighteen years at LIT she has received the Outstanding Staff Award and Rogers Community Service Award and has served on a number of campus committees including Distance Learning, Safety, All College Day Planning and several search committees. She is a member of Texas Association of Developmental Education and Southwest Educational Research Association, serves on several advisory boards and is active in community service. She also serves as an Adjunct Instructor in the College of Education and Human Development at Lamar University. She resides in Beaumont with her husband, Kevin Smith, Senior Associate Provost at Lamar University